The photo above is a selection of Eremophila maculata ‘Wendy’ which has reddish buds which open to dark pink. Another issue is drainage which must be very good for Eremophilas. Watering regularly on a weekly basis as our water restrictions impose on us will spell disaster for many native plants, especially those that have a form of summer dormancy. It grows between 3 and 6 feet (1-2 m.) tall. For burgundy flowers, look for the cultivar Valentine. Specimens range from 3 feet to 10 feet (1-3 m.) tall and offer rosy-red flowers that are deeply spotted on the inside.
The issue that bothers many plants is over watering. Or opt for spotted emu bush ( Eremophila maculata ), one of the easiest species to find in this country. However, Eremophilas tend to be both hardy and adaptable. There are many plants which would come into that category. Eremophila decipiens, Slender Emu Bush - Spreading shrub 3-4 tall by as. A writer in the ‘Journal’, magazine of the Australian Plants Society, South Australia, prefers to refer to plants as being ‘adaptable’ or not. Large red flwrs on stalks angling above foliage in summer.
A plant is described as hardy there, when I know that it is not hardy here unless it is regularly watered during the summer. On the gardening programme Gardening Australia on ABC TV, the term is used by presenters in the Eastern States. From mid-winter to spring emu bush is covered with an abundance of tubular, rosy red flowers that grow along the tips of its branches and attract hummingbirds. Plant hardiness is a relative term, I think. The Eremophila Study Group News Letter arrived and we are being encouraged to spread the good word about Eremophilas as hardy plants.